Symphonic Odysseys

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Symphonic Odysseys and Uematsu come to London this Summer

February 10, 2017 | Shawn Sackenheim | Comments Off on Symphonic Odysseys and Uematsu come to London this Summer Share this

Merregnon Studios, the group behind the Square Enix-focused Final Symphony and Symphonic Fantasies concerts have announced that their 2011 sell-out concert, Symphonic Odysseys, is coming to London this Summer. Unlike their previous shows, Symphonic Odysseys is focused solely on the music of Nobuo Uematsu — from Blue Dragon to Lost Odyssey and naturally, Final Fantasy — and was last performed nearly a year ago in Paris.

Those who couldn’t make it to France in 2016 have a chance to see the show again on June 20th, 2017 at the Barbican Centre. Performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Eckehard Stier (with the London Symphony Chorus, acclaimed pianist Mischa Cheung and a full kazoo fanfare), the arrangements come from the same team behind Final Symphony, Jonne Valtonen and Roger Wanamo. Uematsu himself will also be at the venue for a special ticketed, pre-concert Q&A session.

“Nobuo Uematsu has been a musical hero of mine for many years and it’s both a delight and a pleasure that we can celebrate his work with such an amazing concert in London,” said Symphonic Odysseys London producer, Thomas Böcker. “It’s always great to be back at the Barbican Centre, but I’m particularly excited that Uematsu-san can join us for what will be our 10th concert with the London Symphony Orchestra. Fans will not want to miss hearing Uematsu’s classic compositions, along with some of his less well known, but equally wonderful works too.”

Tickets go on sale February 10th with prices between £30 ($38) to £65 ($82). Tickets for the pre-concert talk with Nobuo Uematsu will also go on sale at the same time, priced at £10 ($13) each. Those interested can buy their tickets through the Symphonic Odysseys site or directly from the Barbican Centre. Below is the announced set list:

Opening Fanfare

The Final Fantasy Legend / Final Fantasy Legend 2

On Windy Meadows (from Final Fantasy XIV)

Waterside (from Blue Dragon)

Final Fantasy Concerto – For Piano and Orchestra

King’s Knight BGM – Pretty Day Out – (from King’s Knight)

Light of Silence (from Chrono Trigger)

Spreading Your Wings (from The Last Story)

Lost Odyssey Suite

If you can’t make the show or are just looking to relive Merregnon’s past performances check out Ryan’s recent article on the vinyl editions of both Final Symphony and Symphonic Fantasies from Laced Records.
Featured, Game Music

5 Quick Questions: Final Symphony (Thomas Böcker)

August 24, 2012 | Audun Sorlie | 6 Comments Share this

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Game Music, Reviews

Not Odd at All: Symphonic Odysseys Tribute to Nobuo Uematsu (Review)

January 20, 2012 | Jayson Napolitano | 4 Comments Share this

It goes without saying (although I’m saying it now) that the Symphonic series is probably the best concert production in the world focusing on game music. Not only are they impressive feats of arrangement and orchestral performance, but Thomas Boecker and crew managed to pull off two such shows in 2011: Symphonic Legends focusing on the music of Nintendo and Symphonic Odysseys, a concert dedicated to Nobuo Uematsu, not to mention a repeat production of Symphonic Fantasies in Japan that just took place a couple weeks back.

While it’s unlikely that we’re see Symphonic Legends on CD given Nintendo’s track record with licensing music (a real shame), we do have Symphonic Odysseys courtesy of Dog Ear Records, and it’s just as good if not better than previous Symphonic efforts.

Hit the jump for more. (more…)
Game Music

Symphonic Odysseys Coming to CD Via Dog Ear Records

November 1, 2011 | Jayson Napolitano | 5 Comments Share this

Yes, if you were one of the lucky people in attendance or somebody like me who was able to watch the live feed of this concert back in July then you know how special this announcement is. I guess it’s no surprise given that previous “Symphonic” concerts have received CD releases, but it’s been some time since the concert took place, so I was starting to worry. Have no fear, however, as it turns out Dog Ear Records will be publishing the two-disc album just a few days after Christmas on December 28, 2011.

The concert featured music from Final Fantasy, King’s Knight, Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and The Last Story. Watch for coverage of the album as the release date approaches!

Are you excited about this announcement? Are you surprised that it’s coming via Dog Ear Records?
Featured, Game Music

Venturing Beyond The Norm: Symphonic Odysseys Live Report

July 13, 2011 | Audun Sorlie | 8 Comments Share this

Symphonic Shades, Symphonic Fantasies, Symphonic Legends. Three concerts over the last three years that have become synonymous with progression, beauty, revolution and controversy in the world of videogame music live orchestra. Since the earlier days of the Leipzig Symphonic concerts, its been a constant mission for the European based production team to not only deliver the greatest performances from the orchestra at hand, but to truly portray the atmosphere and spirit of the source material and craft a story standing on its own two legs. It’s led to masterpieces such as Jonne Valtonen’s grand epic “Symphonic Poem” and Roger Wanamo’s layered “Chrono Trigger/Cross,” and also controversial underdogs like “Suite Samus Aran – Galactic Warrior.” The team pushes the envelope to truly explore the true essence of every piece and strives to prove that there are more to them than just instant nostalgic rushes and cheap laughs, gaining the respect of composers and audiences around the world.

July 9th marked the fourth installment of the Symphonic series, a revisit of the mind of Nobuo Uematsu. This time, we were invited to journey through the career of the most famous videogame composer of all time, and hear the all new interpretations of some of his most famous works, along with some lesser known yet incredible work from the vast library of Uematsu. The composer himself was also in attendance to show his gratitude to the orchestra and the audience.

Was the fourth installment able to once again amaze and push forward? Find out after the jump. (more…)
Game Music

Nobuo In Your Living Room: Symphonic Odysseys Livestream Details

July 8, 2011 | Audun Sorlie | 3 Comments Share this

As we are just a day away from what is shaping up to be the best of tributes for legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu, the WDR has released the details for the livestream information. As usual, the team is delivering the option for all fans around the world to listen and attend the concert from the comfort of their home with state of the art video and sound equipment.

For fans outside Germany, the on site flash player will not work, however on the right hand side of the stream website there are alternatives, from Windows Media Player to Ipad. The right hand side shows the following options from top to bottom:

Live stream for Windows Media Player
Live stream for iPhone and iPad
Live stream in full screen and high quality
Live stream for mobile devices with lower bandwidth.

The concert will go live at 19:45 local time Saturday 9th, and here are the listing for worldwide viewers:

Central (Chicago): 12:45pm
Eastern (New York): 1:45pm
Pacific (Los Angeles): 10:45am
Japan Standard (Tokyo): 02:45am

Please join us, and visit the Symphonic Odysseys website for all your streaming needs!

Website: WDR.de